Tatarstan Airlines was founded in 1993[3] and started flights in 1999. It operated scheduled flights to destinations in Russia and abroad including seasonal charter flights to holiday destinations.

In 2012 Tatarstan Airlines announced that it would work with Turkish Airlines to make Kazan airport a federal hub.[4]

In November 2013 the crash of Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 claimed the lives of all passengers and crew. Russia's air transport regulator Rosaviatsiya recommended that Tatarstan Airlines' operating license be withdrawn after air incident investigators concluded that the crash was due to overworked and inadequately trained crew.[5] The airline's operating license was revoked on 31 December 2013 and its aircraft were transferred to Ak Bars Aero.[6]

On 17 November 2013, Boeing 737-500 (VQ-BBN) arriving from Moscow crashed on landing at Kazan International Airport. All 44 passengers and 6 crew members were killed. The crash resulted in the temporary closure of the airport.